Tag Archives: type 1 diabetes

How to Enjoy Chocolate without Blood Sugar Spikes + 3 Recipes To Try

by Lauren Bongiorno

Lauren Bongiorno’s Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups

Last month’s Valentine’s Day had me thinking about how chocolate does not have a very good reputation in the Diabetic community. It is invariably put on the “bad food” list and often only eaten during cheat meals, holidays, or unplanned nighttime binges. From what I’ve observed, many diabetics are convinced that chocolate does not do KIND things to their blood sugar and so they try to stay away from it even though they love the taste and wish they could have it more often.

What if I told you though, that I’m a diabetic, and I not only eat chocolate almost every single day, but I do so without spiking my blood sugar?

Chocolate is not the enemy. In an article published on Mind Body Green, “3 Healthy Reasons To Eat Chocolate Every Day,” naturopathic physician Michael Murray explains the many great benefits of eating chocolate. According to Murray, chocolate is a rich source of flavonoid antioxidants that are important in protecting the heart, chocolate produces arginine that helps regulate blood flow and blood pressure, and chocolate helps to prevent excessive clumping together of blood platelets that can cause blood clots. Plus, it tastes DELICIOUS!

So why not learn how to incorporate it into your diet more without it affecting your blood sugar? From my experience and observation, I’ve learned that diabetics and chocolate do not mix well when the wrong type of chocolate is eaten, and in large amounts.

So what’s the right type of chocolate and how do you manage to not overeat it? Oh, I’m so glad you asked! The right type of chocolate is one that does not have both high carbs AND high fat. That’s a disaster waiting to happen. The high fat will block the insulin from treating the carbs, and you’ll be left with a spike. Most candy bars, milkshakes, and restaurant desserts are HIGH FAT and HIGH CARBS. You’ll want to select a chocolate that has either high fat/low carb or moderate carb/low fat ratio.

When we look at how to have self-control when eating chocolate, think of the “don’t touch the cookie jar” phenomenon. When someone says, “don’t touch the cookie jar” it’s equivalent to “don’t eat chocolate during the week” or “no chocolate this month during my diet”. Restriction just wants to make you have it more! I allow myself to have chocolate every day so my body doesn’t feel like the one time a week I allow myself to have it I need to stuff my face and go overboard. It’s about moderation.

Below are three recipes to make at home as a way to start sneaking chocolate into your diet more often without having the negative effects of high blood sugar!

Lauren Bongiorno’s Chocolate Bliss Balls

1. Chocolate Bliss Balls
Carbs: 5g per ball
Fat: 4g per ball

Ingredients:

½ cup rolled oats
½ cup peanut, almond butter or sunflower seed butter
1/8 tsp salt
2 tbsp flour
Chocolate chips

Directions: Melt the nut butter in the microwave for a couple of seconds. Then, combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix them together. Roll into balls, place on a plate or tray, store in fridge and enjoy!

2. Chocolate Zucchini Waffles (Recipe adopted from Thriving Home), Makes 12 square waffles
Carbs: 17.3 per waffle
Fat: 6g per waffle

Ingredients:

1 cup whole wheat flour
½ cup unbleached all purpose flour
1 tbsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
1 and ½ tsp cinnamon
¼ tsp salt
½ cup cocoa powder sifted
¼ cup brown sugar
¼ cup coconut oil
2 eggs
1 ¾ cup almond milk
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup zucchini, pureed in a food processor
1 cup chocolate chips

Directions: Mix dry ingredients in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together brown sugar and melted coconut oil. Whisk in beaten egg, milk, and pureed zucchini. Add wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and whisk until just combined. Stir in chocolate chips. Pour about ¼ cup mix per waffle and cook according to waffle iron instructions.

3. Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups, *Makes about 12 mini cups
Carbs: 4.5g per cup
Fat: 4g per cup

Ingredients:

1/3 cup dark chocolate chips
1 heaping tablespoon of coconut oil
Drop of vanilla extract
2 tablespoons organic peanut butter, almond butter, or sunflower seed butter (make sure the brand has no oils, or sugars added)
2 teaspoons honey or maple syrup
*12, 1 1/2 inch baking liners

Directions: Melt chocolate and oil on stove top on low heat while continuously stirring (It’s really important not to let the chocolate burn!) Spray oil inside of baking liners (I used a coconut oil spray from Whole Foods^®). Add a tiny bit of chocolate to the bottom of the liner (this is your bottom layer) and place in freezer for 5 minutes until hardened. While bottom layer is setting in the freezer, combine nut butter, honey and vanilla extract in a separate bowl to prepare your filling. After the bottom layer has hardened, remove from freezer and add 1 teaspoon of your nut butter filling to each cup and smooth out with the back of a spoon. Add the rest of the chocolate to each cup until filling is covered. Place in freezer for 15 minutes or until cups harden and then you’re done! Store in fridge or freezer.

These are suggested recipes that work for me, but always remember to consult your physician first if you have concerns about integrating chocolate into your daily meals.

If you have any questions about the above, please let us know by clicking on “Leave a Reply” at the top of this post.

How to Tell Your Significant Other That You Have Diabetes

love heart

by Lauren Bongiorno

For the past five years my boyfriend Kris has been so supportive of my diabetes. He gets me coconut water or a bowl of fruit when I’m low. If I test my blood sugar, he always asks for my numbers and if I’m cranky, the first thing he says is, “test your blood sugar, you might be high”.

Even though for the majority of our relationship he has been more than caring and understanding of the challenges that come with living with this disease, he wasn’t always. And the reason for that is because for the first two months of our relationship, I didn’t give him the opportunity.

Let me explain.

Sharing with family and friends that you have Diabetes is one thing, but telling someone with whom you are just starting to date, that’s a whole other ball game.

Kris and I began dating our senior year of high school and for the first two months of our relationship, I did my best to hide my diabetes from him. I made sure my insulin pump was always hidden in my clothes and I always went to the bathroom to test my blood sugar. I was extremely fearful that he would reject me for having a disease.

One Saturday night after dinner we came back to my house and I decided to break the news to him. All throughout dinner I was playing out in my head how I thought the conversation would go. I believed it would end with him being embarrassed to be dating a girl who had something wrong with her.

When I finally mustered up the strength to tell him, he laughed a little, smiled, and said, “Oh I know already. My friend’s knew you had diabetes and told me months ago. It really doesn’t matter to me! I just figured you’d tell me when you were ready.”

It was like a weight was lifted off my shoulders. I wasted months of freaking out for nothing!

Recently I came across an article in the Diabetes Forecast Magazine on this topic where Tracey Neithercott says, “We often project our own feelings about diabetes onto the person we’re dating. If you see diabetes as something to be ashamed of, or if you see yourself as somehow deficient simply because of your diabetes, you may expect others to treat you accordingly. The goal, then, is to work through those feelings until you accept your disease an understand that diabetes doesn’t make you less worthy of love.”

I think that this is a really strong point that Tracey makes. If we accept ourselves fully, we can then open up and allow our significant others to accept us fully as well. In the small chance that your partner thinks less of you because you have diabetes, that may be an opportunity for you to reevaluate whether this is someone with whom you want to share your time.

If you’ve ever felt nervous or fearful to tell your significant other you have diabetes, you are certainly not alone! But the lesson here is to give your partner the opportunity to be supportive and understanding. Chances are, telling them will go a lot smoother than you can imagine and it will even bring you two closer since you are sharing such a big part of your life with them.

How long do you think is enough time to wait before telling your significant other you have diabetes? Can you relate to these fears above? Let us know.

Lauren Bongiorno is a Type 1 Diabetic, Diabetic holistic health coach, qualified yoga instructor, and motivational speaker. Lauren has lived with Type 1 Diabetes since 2000 and has proven that no matter what your challenge in life is, taking control of it starts from the inside out with a healthy mind and body. With a background in holistic health, personal training, division 1 collegiate soccer, and yoga, Lauren is the Brand Ambassador for Gluco Perfect. You can connect with Lauren on her website at laurenbongiorno.com and follow her Instagram and Facebook pages for daily inspiration.

5 Healthy Holiday Tips For Diabetics + Brownie Recipe!

by Lauren Bongiorno

The hot topic that has come up with my clients these last few weeks has been how to stay healthy during the holidays. The holiday season poses some common challenges that for diabetics can be detrimental to blood sugar control. It seems that with the all the parties, food temptations, and mindset of “I’ll start January 1^st”, all intentions of exercising, eating healthy, and sticking to your normal routine tend to get swept away.

I am a strong believer in finding balance between enjoying yourself in life and taking care of your body. The good news is that I believe both can coincide without feeling like you’re dieting or depriving yourself! Whether you are traveling or staying home this year, here are some of my favorite tips for keeping up your healthy game during the holidays:

Prioritize self care

When we focus on taking care of ourselves, we are more likely to make healthier decisions. One thing we want to do this holiday season is arm our bodies with sleep, water, and exercise to help reduce stress. When we are stressed, our body produces more of the hormone gherlin and less of the hormone leptin. Together these hormones result in us wanting to eat more and feeling less satisfied after we eat, which in turn can lead to late night binges and high blood sugars throughout the night.

Here are a few tips to reduce stress:

Get 7-8 hours of sleep a night
Drink 8 glasses of water a day
Workout for at least 30 minutes 5 days a week combining strength and cardio. Note: Always consult your physician before taking on a new workout

Eat your last big meal 3-4 hours before you go to sleep

For diabetics, the danger zone happens when blood sugar is high for an extended period of time. It’s imperative that we go to bed at a stable number and know that it won’t be fluctuating too much throughout the night. By eating your last meal 3-4 hours before you go to sleep, you’re able to monitor how your dinner effects your blood sugar even hours later and make a correction if needed.

Practice intention setting the morning of a party

On the morning of a party, I like to intention set. With your intention set, you have an internal compass that will help guide you. Think about the difference and outcome of an intention such as: “I want tonight to be about slowing down, connecting with my family, and not using food to feed my emotions” versus, “ It’s only one night I might as well eat whatever I want.” You’re definitely more likely to get yourself in a little more food trouble with the second intention! What the mind believes, the body does.

Shift the focus to family and friends

Isn’t connecting with your loved ones the whole point of the holidays? Instead of hovering over the kitchen and stuffing your face with food, feed your hunger for enjoyment with laughing, telling stories, and playing games with your family and friends!

Give your desserts a healthy makeover

Because I’m a total dessert person, I love trying out new recipes that takes a traditional unhealthy snack and makes it healthy. So many desserts are really high in carbs AND fat, which is a terrible combo because it makes your body more resistant to the insulin, which results in high blood sugar and fat storage. There are endless healthy recipes online but today I want to share with you my all time favorite! It’s always a hit at my holiday parties and people can’t believe it’s healthy! Check it out below to see the secret ingredient!

Image of black bean brownies from chcolatecoveredkatie.com

Nutrition label for black bean brownies created by Lauren Bongiorno at onlinelabels.com

Recipe: Black Bean Brownies by Chocolate Covered Katie:

Yields: 9-12 brownies

What You Will Need:

1.5 cans of black beans, drained and rinsed
¼ cup maple syrup
4 tbsp coconut oil
¾ cup dark chocolate chips
½ cup quick or rolled oats
2 tbsp raw cacao powder
2 tbsp coconut pal sugar or brown sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp sea salt

Directions:

Preheat over to 350 degrees Farenheit
Grease a 6×6 square baking dish
In a food processor or blender, add all the ingredients except for the chocolate chips. Scrape down the sides with a rubber spatula and process until completely smooth
Place mixture into a bowl and fold in chocolate chips
Pour into the pan and spread evenly with a knife
Place in oven for 20-30 minutes
Option to add in more chocolate chips
Cool for at least 10 minutes in the refrigerator and then serve cold or warm with a glass of almond milk!

Join the conversation by clicking here or on “Leave A Reply” at the top of this post and let us know what has been your biggest struggle with staying healthy during the holidays. Which tips above do you think you will try this year? Let us know!

Raising Awareness For National Diabetes Month

By Lauren Bongiorno

According to the American Diabetes Association, which is celebrating its 75^th anniversary this year, education and awareness is a key component in preventing the following statistics from continuing to rise in the future years:

Diabetes affects nearly 30 million children and adults in the U.S today — nearly 10 percent of the population
Another 86 million Americans have prediabetes and are at risk for developing type 2 diabetes
One- third of American adults will have diabetes by 2050 unless we take steps to stop diabetes
Every 19 seconds someone in the U.S. is diagnosed with diabetes
Diabetes is the leading cause of kidney failure
60 to 70% of people with diabetes have mild to severe forms of nerve damage that could result in pain in the feet or hands, slowed digestion, sexual dysfunction and other nerve problems

*The above statistics are cited from the American Diabetes Association, 2015.

In honor of this November’s American Diabetes Awareness month, the ADA is holding a campaign to STOP DIABETES. They are gathering up as much support as they can for diabetes research, advocacy, and community outreach in order to help spread the message that all of us need to take a stand against this disease.

American politician Barbara Mikulski once said, “Each one of us can make a difference. Together we can make a change.” Whether or not you have diabetes, here are 5 ways you can help spread awareness to get this country one step closer to health and happiness by stopping the harmful effects and diagnoses of diabetes:

1. Start at home

Start the awareness at home by talking with your family about the importance of healthy blood sugar levels. You can also discuss the difference between type 1 and type 2 diabetes and stress that type 2 diabetes is preventable by keeping a healthy diet and exercising.

2. Participate in a Fundraiser Walk

Join JDRF and ADA in one of their walks that are held nationwide to fundraise for education, research, and advocacy. You can register to join your local JDF ONE walk or ADA Step Out: Walk to Stop Diabetes.

3. Help support children at school

Once called “Adult Onset Diabetes,” Type 2 diabetes now affects a growing number of children’s lives. One way to help support children is to work with your local school to invite a health care professional to speak about diabetes. Another suggested is to help the district get less fried food and added sugar in the cafeteria and more fresh fruits and vegetables.

4. Organize a walk or workout

Become a motivator in your community and organize a walk or workout with a group of people to help each other stay accountable!

5. Organize a community support group for people with diabetes

When you take the time to come together with like-minded individuals working towards similar goals, you get a support system and realize you’re not the only one out there with the same issues and concerns. The idea is to create a sense of unity that is about joining forces to help each other through the challenges of diabetes and fight against the disease.

November 14^th was World Diabetes Day but let’s not let that stop us from continuing to raise awareness and giving support to those who need it each and every day of the year!

No More Excuses: 3 Steps To Start an Exercise Routine That Will Stick!

Lauren Bongiorno in a Yoga Pose

by Lauren Bongiorno

Aside from the food you’re putting in your body, exercise is a KEY component to keeping your blood sugar numbers in a healthy range and in avoiding those high spikes us diabetics tend to get in the morning and after meals. One of the most beneficial effects exercise has on diabetics, along with everyone else as well, is that it helps the body increase its insulin sensitivity.

A higher insulin sensitivity is SO important because it allows the insulin to take the glucose out of the blood in a quick and effective manner. When the body has poor insulin sensitivity, there are an array of negative effects that may occur: inflammation in the body, reduced athletic performance, low energy, increased risk of heart disease, weight gain, and may result in eye and feet problems.

While everyone knows that exercising is healthy, sometimes we let our excuses get in the way. We know them all too well: I’m too tired; I had a long day; I have a headache; My blood sugars weren’t good today; the gym is too far of a drive; I have to cook dinner for my family tonight. The list is endless!

So how do we overcome these excuses and make exercise a top priority in our lives in order to stay healthy, increase insulin resistance, and prevent future complications? Well, we can start here with these 3 steps anyone can take to pushing their excuses aside and making time to get active:

1. Change your perspective
Instead of viewing working out as a job or something you have to do, change your perspective and look at it as something that you GET TO do. You might not be able to control the fact that you have diabetes but you do have the ability to take better control of your blood sugar numbers through moving your body! It’s also an added bonus that working out boosts our mood, increases our energy, and gives us a sense of accomplishment!

TIP: There are a million excuses we can make to not workout. Try writing down a list of reasons you want to work out and hang it somewhere you can see every day!

2. Make a plan
Step two is to make a plan. Just like you schedule in work meetings, allot time each day to get active. On Sunday night I like to write out in my planner what workouts I’ll be doing each day and when. Whether it’s riding your bike outside, going for a run, circuit training, a spin class, a zumba class, dancing, make it part of your weekly routine! Note, before starting any exercise routine, please consult your physician.

TIP: Try doing this quick, no equipment at home workout:

50 jumping jacks
40 bicycle crunches
30 mountain climbers
20 squats
10 jump switch lunges
Suggestion: Repeat circuit 3-4 times

3. Journal
Journaling is a great way to not only help you track your progress toward a particular fitness related goal, but writing can help improve your connection between the mind and body. At the end of the day, reflect on how you felt after your workout. Did you have more energy? Were you able to do more cardio than the week before and felt a sense of accomplishment? Did your cravings for junk food increase? Decrease? When we reflect on how the body is feeling, a connection is formed between our actions, and the result of those actions on our overall health.

TIP: Keep a notebook next to your bed and take 10 minutes before going to sleep to reflect.

What I love most about these 3 steps is that they’re simple, but completely manageable! They’ve made a great impact on my life and I hope that they will help you as well!

Share with us below how YOU stay motivated to workout! We’d love to hear!